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Dave Davies

@davedavies.dev
97 followers 39 following 203 posts

Web Accessibility Specialist 🦾 Helping you build better websites and apps for everyone davedavies.dev

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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 23/09/2026
Exciting 🎉Just launched the State of Ecommerce Accessibility 2026. The headline stat is that 64% of product pages checked had at least 1 critical accessibility issue (59,400 pages scanned). Read the full report: davedavies.dev/state-of-eco...
davedavies.dev
State of Ecommerce Accessibility 2026
An audit of 59,400 ecommerce product pages. 64% had at least one automatically detected accessibility failure rated critical.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 08/07/2026
Looking for a great evening read? Here you go 😄 davedavies.kit.com/posts/a-fren...
davedavies.kit.com
A French court just made its first major EAA enforcement ruling
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Stef Walter @stephaniewalter.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Want to test your accessibility knowledge? @davedavies.dev built this free accessibility quiz to help you. You get 128 hand written questions across WCAG 2.2, ARIA, semantic HTML and contrast. And for each, an explanation for each answer a11y.quest/
Screenshot of the accessibility quiz page  showing one multiple choice question about WCAG 2.2 captions, a score panel on the right, and a yellow Check answer button.
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Reposted by Dave Davies
RNIB Connect Radio @rnibradio.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
On Thursday 7th of May the Senedd Election is taking place in Wales. But what support is available to blind and partially sighted people heading to the polling stations? RNIB Connect Radio’s Allan spoke to Liz from @rnibcymru.bsky.social, and Ella from the Electoral Commission UK, to find out.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 21/01/2026
Oops. Someone at Podbean cancelled the equalweb subscription without telling anyone.
Podbean dashboard partially covered by an Equalweb overlay showing a ‘Domain Error’ message stating the site key does not match the domain, with Equalweb branding and support contact visible.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 21/01/2026
And while we're on the topic of newsletters... this one from @christiane.link is always such a good read and worth subscribing to. accessiblelink.substack.com/p/the-crickl...
accessiblelink.substack.com
The Cricklewood Saga
The Access for All programme is delayed.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 21/01/2026
Accessible doesn’t have to mean boring. At Wise 1 in 3 Android customers use an accessibility setting. The part about using the APCA colour contrast algorithm is interesting! medium.com/transferwise...
medium.com
Accessible but never boring (Part 1)
Rebranding the Wise design system for everyone.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 20/01/2026
Let’s play spot the bad UI. Left is in-app, right is in-browser. Same company, different interfaces. Muscle memory has almost caught me out too many times 🫠
Side-by-side screenshots of a "Delete chat" confirmation dialog. On the left, the in-app dialog shows grey Cancel and Delete buttons with Delete on the left. On the right, the in-browser dialog shows a red Delete button on the right and Cancel on the left. The reversed button order and stronger visual emphasis on Delete highlight a muscle memory risk that can lead to accidental deletion.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 20/01/2026
As the AI companies start pushing people to buy things through their apps, improving accessibility on your product pages makes your store easier to understand for any agent, on any surface, using any protocol. davedavies.dev/blog/ai-as-a...
davedavies.dev
AI as a sales channel: how accessibility affects your product visibility
AI is starting to influence how people discover and buy products. This article explores what that shift means for your store, why accessibility matters beyond compliance, and how to keep your products...
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 15/01/2026
Ever been tempted to use an accessibility overlay? They're not good for a number of reasons - but here's a example of overlays often make the experience more difficult instead of fixing actual accessibility issues. davedavies.dev/reviews/pass...
davedavies.dev
Are accessibility widgets useful?
Watch an accessibility widget in action and see how overlays often make the experience more difficult instead of fixing actual accessibility issues. A short video review for anyone considering an acce...
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 14/01/2026
I've been reading a lot recently about how AI platforms are starting to experiment with keeping the entire shopping experience within their apps (with varying results). Interestingly - the bots often seem to struggle with poorly marked up, inaccessible product pages.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 17/12/2025
Does it even matter if some people can’t buy from your online store? It's a fair question someone on my email list asked - and one I explore in my latest newsletter: davedavies.kit.com/posts/does-i...
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 16/12/2025
The stupidest modern day inconvenience is having to charge my doorbell. I always forget, so I end up without a doorbell for days until I remember to charge it again.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 04/12/2025
No one ever lost a sale from using the native <select> element. But plenty of businesses do lose sales when their custom dropdown doesn’t behave like the native one - or doesn’t work with a keyboard at all.
davedavies.dev
Is your custom dropdown costing you customers?
Broken dropdowns stop customers choosing a size. Here's how to spot and fix the issue so more people can complete their purchase.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 03/12/2025
Just reading that Shopify merchants took a massive $6.2 BILLION in total sales on Friday, up 25% from last year. From last year’s UK Black Friday data, roughly 12% of online spend was lost because customers with access needs hit barriers and abandoned their purchase.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 14/11/2025
Github are retiring toast messages in favour of persistent notifications (amongst other solutions). Interesting that they start from a perspective of: what would make most sense to the end user. And work from that. Seems reasonable to me! primer.style/accessibilit...
primer.style
Toasts
GitHub no longer uses toasts because of their accessibility and usability issues.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 13/11/2025
It's dark at 4:30pm now... so it MUST be time to do sparklers with the kids, right!? Back in 15.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 13/11/2025
Many product pages make you choose an option before you can add the product to the cart. But if those options are custom and not built properly, some customers won’t even know the choices are there.
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Reposted by Dave Davies
James Buller @jbuller.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
My webinar on making printed and digital content #accessibility is now available as a standalone video with descriptions and captions in: English, Ukrainian, Malay, Arabic, Czech, German, French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Serbian, Spanish. youtu.be/AO9XXkrACtU?...
youtu.be
Accessibility for Printed & Digital Content
YouTube video by Rare Disease Day
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 07/11/2025
I know the "design for disabled people, and you benefit everyone" statement isn’t universally agreed on, but I found this video (specifically about the large button phone) fascinating. www.youtube.com/shorts/a5Lzr...
youtube.com
Why Every Product Should Be Designed For The Disabled
YouTube video by Financian
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 30/10/2025
Do you ever test your “Add to cart” flow using only a keyboard? When the cart drawer opens, the focus should move inside it. If it doesn’t, the experience breaks for keyboard users. Here's why this happens, why it's a problem, and how to fix it. davedavies.dev/reviews/wher...
davedavies.dev
Where’s your focus? (does your product page break navigation?)
See what happens when the cart drawer opens but the keyboard focus doesn’t follow — and how fixing it makes the whole shopping journey smoother.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 23/05/2025
Email accessibility has come a long way, but this year’s report from @emailmarkup.org shows there’s still plenty of work to do. A few takeaways that really stuck with me 👇
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 01/05/2025
Suddenly everything seems to be "From Discover" on my bsky timeline and I'm not sure if it's a bug but I don't like it 🥲
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 01/05/2025
Passenger Clothing are doing so much right - but when it comes to accessibility, even good intentions need a bit of UX backup. I took a look at their new accessibility widget and how built-in browser tools often do a better job. youtu.be/Kd2Z0a6_kr0
youtu.be
Is Passenger’s Accessibility Widget Actually Helping Users?
YouTube video by Dave Davies
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 24/04/2025
If you've ever been let you down by a lift, literally or emotionally, this super-useful site can check a station lift status before you travel: lifts.matteason.co.uk Thanks to @matteason.me for this!
lifts.matteason.co.uk
Station Lifts - check if the lifts are working at any station
Check if the lifts are working at any train station in Great Britain
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 24/04/2025
New font drop from @microsoft.com. What’s really interesting about this article though isn’t just the font design, it’s their discussion on the concept of 'prosody' in video captions. microsoft.design/articles/int...
microsoft.design
Introducing Kermit: A typeface for kids - Microsoft Design
Using design to empower children by making reading easier, improving comprehension, and helping dyslexics.
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RNIB Cymru @rnibcymru.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Surfability's VI taster weekend is back for 2025! Last year’s event saw dozens of blind and partially sighted people take to the waves for the first time but we want this year to be even bigger! 🏄 Register for a spot here: bit.ly/4i5f5eE
Image showing a family on a beach and wearing wetsuits They’re holding hands and walking away from the camera towards the sea. Two men are carrying surf boards next to them, and surfers can be seen in the sea in the distance.
Text above them reads: VI Surfing Taster Weekend, May 10 and 11, Caswell Bay, Swansea.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 08/04/2025
Vitality’s quote form looks sharp - but a few small UX issues might be quietly hurting conversions. In this video I walk through 3 accessibility fixes that could help more people complete the form. youtu.be/Ckx6aNY-tPM
youtu.be
3 Fixes That Could Improve Vitality’s Life Insurance Form (Accessibility + UX Review)
YouTube video by Dave Davies
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Reposted by Dave Davies
deconspray @deconspray.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Anne-Mieke Bovelett tells Designers, your excuse is gone. Stunning, animated and accessible. Yes, you can! buff.ly/MPoHprX #Design #Animation #UXDesign #DigitalAccessibility #Accessibility #A11y
annebovelett.eu
Designers, your excuse is gone. Stunning, animated and accessible. Yes, you can!
Sorry, dear designers, your excuses are officially dead. GitHub just proved you wrong with the rebuild and redesign of their home page.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 07/04/2025
This is a good list. The only other tool I'd add is @polypane.app. www.oidaisdes.org/accessibilit...
oidaisdes.org
My Favorite Tools for Web Accessibility Testing
A selection of bookmarklets, browser extensions and other accessibility testing tools.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 07/04/2025
“Accessibility takes too much time.” So does rebuilding your product after losing users who can’t access what you’ve built. People with disabilities aren’t edge cases - they’re your real audience.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 07/04/2025
Accessibility isn’t just ethical - it’s smart. 1 in 5 people has a disability. That’s not a niche audience, that’s your users. Inclusive design increases reach, improves SEO, and protects you from legal risk. So why wouldn’t you do it? www.nngroup.com/articles/inc...
nngroup.com
Inclusive Design
Inclusive design describes methodologies to create products that understand and enable people of all backgrounds and abilities. It may address accessibility, age, economic situation, geographic locati...
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 07/04/2025
Someone out there is only able to read your content because you added alt text. Someone else navigated your site with a keyboard because you made it possible. Accessibility isn’t about perfection - it’s about care and inclusion.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 07/04/2025
The 2024 WebAIM Million report just dropped. Still 95.9% of home pages have accessibility errors (and most of those are basic errors). Why is it so hard to move this number? What’s actually working - and what isn’t? webaim.org/projects/mil...
webaim.org
WebAIM: The WebAIM Million - The 2025 report on the accessibility of the top 1,000,000 home pages
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deconspray @deconspray.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
How navigation should work for keyboard users buff.ly/a71Gwpz #WebDevelopment #WebDev #WebAccessibility #DigitalAccessibility #Accessibility #A11y
tempertemper.net
How navigation should work for keyboard users
The web is a network of pages that are linked together, with those links often grouped in a navigation. Here’s how keyboard users traverse navigation.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 01/04/2025
The WebAIM Million 2025 report just dropped, scanning the top 1 million home pages for accessibility issues. Are we doing better? Kinda. Are we still messing up the basics? Absolutely. Let’s break it down 👇 webaim.org/projects/mil...
webaim.org
WebAIM: The WebAIM Million - The 2025 report on the accessibility of the top 1,000,000 home pages
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 13/03/2025
Have you ever wondered where WCAG’s 4.5:1 colour contrast ratio comes from, and what it actually means? If you work in accessibility or design, understanding this properly can make a real difference. davedavies.dev/posts/wcag-c...
davedavies.dev
WCAG Colour Contrast: What Does 4.5:1 Actually Mean?
What makes text easy to read - and why does WCAG set a 4.5:1 contrast ratio? It’s all about how our eyes perceive brightness. Discover the science behind colour contrast, relative luminance, and how b...
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 13/03/2025
7 years on, it's still time to ditch the placeholder attribute on form fields... www.smashingmagazine.com/2018/06/plac...
smashingmagazine.com
Don’t Use The Placeholder Attribute — Smashing Magazine
The placeholder attribute contains a surprising amount of issues that prevent it from delivering on what it promises. The presence of a placeholder attribute won’t be flagged by automated accessibilit...
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Reposted by Dave Davies
Frontend Dogma @frontenddogma.com · 10/03/2025
WCAG Colour Contrast: What Does the 4.5:1 Ratio Actually Mean?, by @thedavedavies.bsky.social:
davedavies.dev
WCAG Colour Contrast: What Does the 4.5:1 Ratio Actually Mean?
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 10/03/2025
@amberley.dev Hey there! Could I get an invite to the Web A11y Slack room please? It looks like the only way in is by cold-calling someone 😬 Thanks a lot!
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 18/02/2025
Found a little translation hiccup in the Deque WAS certification course - looks like the 'Allowing Customizability' section accidentally got some German mixed in! Kind of ironic in a section about text accessibility 😄 #a11y #accessibility (Paging @deque.com)
A screenshot from the Deque University Web Accessibility Specialist certification course showing a page titled 'Allowing Customizability'. The page contains two navigation links, with the first link and its associated content incorrectly displayed in German ('Sichtbarer Text SOLLTE Standardtext im Markup sein...'), while the second link remains in English ('Visible UI components SHOULD use native controls...'). Below is explanatory text about text contrast requirements and user customisation needs.
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Steve Faulkner @stevefaulkner.eurosky.social · 14/02/2025
🤔HTML semantics: <abbr> theory versus abbreviation reality "The HTML <abbr> element is deceptively familiar and attractive, its been around forever (1999) and thus people assume that it does what it does and does it well." #a11y #webdev #HTML www.tpgi.com/short-note-t...
tpgi.com
Short note: The abbreviation appreciation society - TPGi
The HTML element is an incredibly common, but do you know how you can make it accessible? Find out how in this article.
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Reposted by Dave Davies
Amber Hinds @amberhinds.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
#Accessibility remediation livestream today is all about AI alt text generating plugins. I made a ridiculous shocked face for the YouTube thumbnail because, OMG, I can't believe I'm going to try these. Tune in at 11 AM CST to see how they do. #a11y #WordPress
buff.ly
Live Accessibility Remediation: Generating Alt Text with AI
Tune in live as Amber tests several AI alt text generating plugins on a real WordPress website. We all want a magic easy button for accessibility — find out ...
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 09/02/2025
Well done Berghaus 👏 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... This free service is going to bring the outdoors to so many more people.
bbc.co.uk
Sunderland outdoor brand offers clothing adaptations
Berghaus Adapts is offering to make bespoke clothing adaptations for people with disabilities.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 09/02/2025
Here’s another valuable accessibility checklist. The UK Gov shares 10 common accessibility mistakes and how to fix them - like missing alt text, bad color contrast, and poor keyboard support. Worth a look! accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2025/02/04/1... #a11y #accessibility
accessibility.blog.gov.uk
10 digital accessibility mistakes to avoid
A list of common mistakes and simple fixes when designing and developing accessible websites and apps.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 06/02/2025
This is such an interesting insight into @whitep4nth3r.com's personal journey into coding by voice. And a powerful reminder that any of us might need to adapt how we navigate the world - whether temporarily or permanently.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 05/02/2025
Have you ever wondered where WCAG’s 4.5:1 colour contrast ratio comes from, and what it actually means? If you work in accessibility or design, understanding this properly can make a real difference. tiny-octopus.com/posts/wcag-c... #a11y #accessibility
tiny-octopus.com
WCAG Colour Contrast: What Does 4.5:1 Actually Mean?
What makes text easy to read - and why does WCAG set a 4.5:1 contrast ratio? It’s all about how our eyes perceive brightness. Discover the science behind colour contrast, relative luminance, and how b...
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 29/01/2025
The @github.com team has put out a fascinating blog on making tree views more accessible! If you’re into #UX, #a11y, or just love a good deep dive into thoughtful engineering, give this a read: github.blog/engineering/...
github.blog
Considerations for making a tree view component accessible
A deep dive on the work that went into making the component that powers repository and pull request file trees.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 27/01/2025
This week, the UK parliament is set to discuss legislation requiring audio and tactile voting aids at polling stations - enabling blind voters to cast their ballots independently and privately. A brilliant step towards making democracy truly accessible for everyone.
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Dave Davies @davedavies.dev · 23/01/2025
Anyone who's been around accessibility for more than a week will know about WCAG's contrast requirements. I mean, there's tools which do all this for us but did you ever wonder what a 4.5:1 ratio actually means? Follow on for a plain English explanation!
Screenshot of the colourcontrast.cc website. A contrast checker result showing a contrast ratio of 14.98 between text and background colours. Four checkmarks indicate the combination passes all WCAG standards: AA Large, AAA Large, AA Normal, and AAA Normal text requirements.
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